IFAD LIFE -ND Project Begins Digital Screening /Recruitment of New Incubatees in Ondo
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-assisted Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises–Niger Delta (LIFE-ND) Project has commenced the selection of another batch of youths, women and persons with disabilities (PWDs) through a digital screening exercise for enrolment and training of incubatees in Ondo State.
Officials of the Project disclosed this on Monday, August 10, 2026 during visits to project communities, including Ayede-Ogbese and Bolorunduro, as part of the assessment and recruitment exercise aimed at identifying eligible incubatees for the additional financing phase of the Project.
The National Market Enterprise Development Specialist of the LIFE-ND Project, Mr Yinka Amosun, said the initiative is jointly funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the governments of the nine Niger Delta states.
According to him, the Project, which has been running in Ondo State for the past five years, is being implemented across the other eight participating Niger Delta states. He explained that the current exercise, undertaken on the directive of the National Project Coordinator, Engr. Abiodun Sanni, is aimed at supervising ongoing screening exercise which will lead to selecting another batch of incubatees.
Amosun said the Project provides training and empowerment in various agricultural value chains, including poultry, cassava, Cocoa and Fishery and vegetable production across the production, processing and marketing aspects.
He noted that the team had already visited several communities and observed encouraging results, with large turnouts attributed to the visible impact of previous beneficiaries.
He explained that the Project is socially inclusive, targeting youths, women and persons with disabilities, and urged prospective incubatees to cooperate with Project officials on the field and ensure they have a genuine interest in agriculture as a business, stressing that not everyone would be selected.
The Ondo State Coordinator of IFAD LIFE-ND, Prince Ademola Olawale PhD, said the Project had been operating in the state for about six years but expressed concern over the low participation of youths in Ogbese.
He noted that some beneficiaries had made significant progress through the Project and assured community members that another set of qualified participants would be selected through the digital registration process.
Addressing residents of Bolorunduro, Dr Olawale stressed that the Project was not designed for students or individuals without a genuine passion for agriculture.
He commended the community for its cooperation and the support of the traditional ruler, describing both as vital to the Project’s success.
An incubator under the LIFE-ND Project in Bolorunduro, Pastor Akande Babatunde Lawrence, said selected participants would undergo practical, hands-on training before being established in their chosen enterprises.
He added that Incubatees would continue to receive mentorship, technical guidance and market linkage support after establishment to ensure the sustainability of their businesses.
Lawrence disclosed that he had trained many Beneficiaries numbering 70 in poultry production and vegetable farming.
According to him, poultry training lasts about three months, while vegetable production training takes one month
One of the beneficiaries from Ayede-Ogbese, Mr Danjuma Abubakar, described the programme as life-changing. He said he received an empowerment grant of ₦250,000 in 2024 under fishery enterprise and was also provided with fish-processing equipment.
Abubakar said the support had enabled him to establish a thriving fish-processing business and improve his income.
He encouraged other youths and women in the community to take advantage of the opportunity the Project offers, saying the programme had transformed his livelihood and demonstrated the benefits of embracing agriculture as a business.
